Buying a House

[Pigglet]

Quite often its worth asking about curtains and such when you go to view a house, if there's somebody living there and moving out the chances of the window being the same size are slim!

I think you can pick most stuff up pretty cheap if you're not too fussy. If there's a Hospice shop or anything nearby they could be agood place to start! Or just in the local papers!

Until this year everything in my house was second hand, picked from various places. (I just got a new cooker and washing machine... Yippee)

I moved into my house with nothing more than a beenbag, matteress, portable tv, counter top electric ring and bits and bobs donated by friends and family! As you say you can get most little things cheap to start with!

Also depending on how you feel about it, don't only look at houses that are nicely done! Honestly, when I bought this place there was no central heating, some sort of 60's wallpaper all over, old grotty carpets and no kitchen apart from a piece of worktop, but I just loved it! It was structuraly sound so I bought it quite cheap because of the state inside and now its all done (7 years later might I add) I love knowing that it's me thats done it! I decided where I wanted the radiators and kitchen cupboards etc! Yeah its been hard but ,there's a great deal of satisfaction now its done!

[snail]

Ah, a counter top electric ring . . . I'd forgotten, I had one of those!When I was Rufio's age my parents sold the family home and split up, so I had to move out, but I had very little money at the time. I lived in a caravan for a few years but it wasn't furnished of course. I bought a plug-in electric cooking ring thing from Argos because there was no way I could afford a cooker. It took ages to heat up of course but it cooked most things in the end. After a while I managed to afford a plug-in counter top oven too, so I could do oven-y things like cakes. (It took about a million years to get hot enough to cook something). It's amazing how you can get by with very little money for furnishings, you always find a way.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I also thought if you get a house with a garden of some sort you'd need a lawn mower.

[rufio89]

yeah... I think my Mum might have a spare lawnmower but im not sure, but again, hadnt thought of that! I should write a list of things and approximate costs. I could even start buying some things. The bed in the room I rent is getting a bit knackered and could do with being replaced really so I was thinking of buying a bed to replace it then i can take it with me when i go, and he'll probably need to buy a new one if he gets a new tenant anyway.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Instead of replacing your bed you could keep it as a spare bed and then replace it as you have the money to.

[rufio89]

ah no, the bed I have at the moment belongs to my house mate, so cant have that. Which is a bit annoying, but I think my Mum will be getting rid of one of their beds soon because they dont want the spare room, she wants it as a sewing room.

I've found some alright houses, look.

http://www.frankinnes.co.uk/content/006 ... 1233674967

http://www.your-move.co.uk/user/PropSea ... =465270111

http://www.halifaxhomefinder.co.uk/HxHf ... 8538322000

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

They all seem nice Ruth. I can get a better idea of size on the first one purely as it has furniture in. The 3rd one seems nice cos it says there is a park close by and south facing back garden - it means you get the sun in the afternoon which is good for enjoying some outside time when you have finished work.

[Bel Bel]

Wow how cheap are houses in your neck of the woods. Same size where i live would be £170K minimum.
Shame I can't relocate i would be able to get a small castle

[rufio89]

I know, Im amazed. I was looking at the same sort of houses just 6 months ago and they were about £120k. If I were buying a house with someone, I could get a REALLY nice house, it's amazing how much things have changed.

Bad if you want to sell, but good for me!